Objective: To assess the predictive validity of the pneumonia severity-of-illness index (PSI), a mortality prediction rule, and extend the work of others by including data on outpatients treated for pneumonia. Methods: Prospective study of 675 consecutive patients with community-acquired...

Patients with health insurance do not make the most cost conscious healthcare decisions since they bear only a fraction of the total cost of medical care. Managed care advocates point to financial incentives as a way to reduce wasteful resource use. However, physicians with managed care...